Wilderness.org - partnershiphttp://wilderness.org/taxonomy/term/2107
enRecreation partners integral to meeting our lands' criseshttp://wilderness.org/blog/recreation-partners-integral-meeting-our-lands-crises
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Dec 27, 2013</div></div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_image field-group-div group-image speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/blog_full/public/hikersTableRockWilderness2.BLMOregon.jpg?itok=RBnQbSOx" width="500" height="334" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div><div class="field field-name-media-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Hikers at Table Rock Wilderness</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-credit field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>flickr, BLMOregon</p>
</div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Those of us who are committed to America&#39;s lands are becoming increasingly concerned about what has been referred to as the &quot;constituency crisis.&quot; While millions still love enjoying&nbsp;our wild places, there has been a <a href="/node/2646">decline in interest</a> in the past few decades. And people who don&#39;t experience the outdoors are less likely to understand its importance.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Of course many of us know differently, and some of us even want to share our love of the outdoors with others. This includes The Wilderness Society and most of its partners, including the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.aore.org/" target="_blank">Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education</a>&nbsp;(AORE).</p>
<p>&quot;A child who spends time exploring out in nature is more likely to be thin and fit, get better grades in school, and be free of emotional problems than kids that don&rsquo;t spend enough time outside,&quot; Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society, said as the keynote speaker at AORE&#39;s conference last month.</p>
<p>AORE is an organization made up of professionals and students in the field of outdoor recreation and education. AORE&#39;s membership includes college and university outdoor programs, military base recreation programs and other community-based recreation groups. In addition to recreation and education, AORE&#39;s mission includes promoting the preservation and conservation of the natural environment. The Wilderness Society partners with AORE because although we have been crucial to these efforts, we know we can&#39;t do it alone.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of our <a href="http://wilderness.org/article/wilderness-act">Wilderness Act</a>, which has allowed us to protect about 110 million acres in those years. But the work hasn&#39;t ended. Members of Congress continue to propose legislation that threatens our lands, even those that are protected. <a href="http://wilderness.org/photo-tribute-these-gorgeous-national-parks-and-public-lands-need-funding">Lack of funding</a>, <a href="/node/107671">logging</a>, <a href="http://wilderness.org/blog/shell-files-plans-drill-arctic-ocean-2014">drilling</a>, <a href="http://wilderness.org/blog/our-report-forest-services-legacy-roads-and-trails-program">uneccessary roads</a> and even <a href="/node/448">reckless renewable energy</a> development are all potentially putting these lands at risk.</p>
<p>&quot;That&rsquo;s why the work you do must be highlighted and celebrated &ndash; because it brings people back into the wild, and gets more people to care about the fate of our wild places,&quot; Williams told AORE conference attendees.&nbsp;&quot;Recreation is the key to our success, and in many ways it always has been.&quot;</p>
<p><strong>Watch the video below to learn more, courtesy of the Outdoor Industry Association:</strong></p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9oAAIoI4rtg" width="560"></iframe></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_related field-group-div group-related speed-fast effect-none"><h2><span>Related Content</span></h2><div class="field field-name-field-related-content field-type-entityreference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="ds-1col article article-type-article article-promoted odd article-related-content view-mode-related_content clearfix ">
<div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/sustainable-recreation"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/related_content/public/snowshoeing-equipment-istock.jpg?itok=Dk2XTFvo" width="220" height="115" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-promo-item-teaser field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Find out how to recreate sustainably</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">If you love wilderness, you probably worry about how your recreation activities may harm the wild places you visit. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-node-link field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/sustainable-recreation">Read more</a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="field-item odd"><div class="ds-1col article article-type-article article-promoted even article-related-content view-mode-related_content clearfix ">
<div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/outdoor-recreation-faqs"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/related_content/public/kayakers.FWS_.jpg?itok=AJHu0kHJ" width="220" height="115" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-promo-item-teaser field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Have questions about outdoor recreation?</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Learn more about outdoor recreation with our FAQs. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-node-link field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/outdoor-recreation-faqs">Read more</a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="field-item even"><div class="ds-1col article article-type-article article-promoted odd article-related-content view-mode-related_content clearfix ">
<div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/youth-recreation-partnerships"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/related_content/public/family-park-ranger-DamonParrish-REI-wc.jpg?itok=GHM2gnM_" width="220" height="115" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-promo-item-teaser field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Learn about partnerships for youth recreation </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-headline field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Every child deserves the chance to experience the rush of the great outdoors. Yet these days, many kids do not get that opportunity. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-node-link field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/article/youth-recreation-partnerships">Read more</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Fri, 27 Dec 2013 20:05:20 +0000Lydia Hooper107716 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/blog/recreation-partners-integral-meeting-our-lands-crises#commentsBack Country Horsemen team up with Wilderness Societyhttp://wilderness.org/blog/back-country-horsemen-team-wilderness-society
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Nov 12, 2009</div></div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_image field-group-div group-image speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-content-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/styles/blog_full/public/legacy/profiler/Horses-NorthCascadesNationalPark-Washington-HollyWerran-courtesyREI.jpg?itok=4WuYGCYT" alt="" title="Two women riding horses in wilderness. Photo by Holly Werran, Courtesy of REI." /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div><div class="field field-name-media-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>Two women riding horses in wilderness. Photo by Holly Werran, Courtesy of REI.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-credit field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Aldo Leopold</strong></span>, co-founder of The Wilderness Society and a preeminent voice in the conservation world defined wilderness as &ldquo;a continuous stretch of country preserved in its natural state, open to lawful hunting and fishing, big enough to absorb a two week&rsquo;s [horse] pack trip.&rdquo; In his most famous book, <em>A Sand County Almanac</em>, he provided two examples of &ldquo;primitive skills in pioneering travel&hellip;&rdquo;one of these is canoe travel, and the other is travel by packtrain.&rdquo;</p>
<h3>A Horse Rides Through It</h3>
<p>The Wilderness Society honors the rich history of horseback riding in wilderness through a new partnership with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.backcountryhorse.com/">Back Country Horsemen of America</a>.</p>
<p>The two groups first met in the spring of 2009 when Back Country Horsemen of America approached The Wilderness Society to request their help preserving opportunities to enjoy wilderness riding and packing and interpreting the history and significance of pack and saddle stock for managers and other wilderness advocates.</p>
<p>&ldquo;A partnership between the Back Country Horsemen of America and The Wilderness Society makes sense, especially in light of how many of our visionary wilderness leaders, like <a href="/about-us/aldo-leopold">Aldo Leopold</a>, <a href="howard-zahniser">Howard Zahniser</a> and <a href="mardy-murie">Mardy Murie</a>, saw many of their greatest moments of clarity, insight and inspiration while riding a horse deep into the wild country of America,&rdquo; said Bart Koehler, senior wilderness campaigns director at The Wilderness Society. &ldquo;These moments gave them a bedrock solid sense of direction and helped them lead the way to securing protections for special wild places thanks to <a href="wilderness-act-1964">The Wilderness Act</a>.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The two groups hope to educate public lands agencies and the recreating public about the historical and traditional use of horses and pack stock on public lands and to increase the substantive and ideological support for maintenance of this use. This includes working to influence the FY2011 federal budget to include more funds for trail maintenance on Forest Service lands and joint scoping comments regarding management of newly designated wilderness areas.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When the Wilderness Act was being debated in Congress, horsemen were among the advocates who testified for its passage. None of us imagined that later generations might question our privilege to enjoy that resource,&rdquo; said Mike Reedy, past Chairman of Back Country Horsemen of America. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s the situation we find ourselves in more and more often. The Wilderness Act passed because of broad citizen support and it is our hope that horsemen will be welcomed by more wilderness advocacy groups as partners in the continued support and enjoyment of wilderness.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Wilderness Society&rsquo;s history is founded on a deep acknowledgement of and personal connection to pack and saddle use in wilderness. Due to recent agency management and policy decisions, some horse users feel unfairly and unnecessarily excluded from wilderness. This is not consistent with both organizations&rsquo; joint history and the two groups are working to reduce the real and perceived instances of unjustified limitations.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The Wilderness Society believes that pack and saddle is a historical, appropriate, and accepted use of wilderness,&rdquo; said Scott Brennan, Northern Rockies forest program director for The Wilderness Society and participant in The Wilderness Society and Back Country Horsemen of America meetings. &ldquo;Direct personal experience is what inspires people to care for wild places, and recreation, including pack and saddle stock use, is by far the most important source of such inspiration. This is why we seek to make common cause with Back Country Horsemen of America,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>The Wilderness Society is looking forward to working with Back Country Horsemen of America. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s pretty exciting to have the opportunity to work together. I&rsquo;m looking forward to the progress we can create,&rdquo; said Cynthia Wilkerson, Washington state program manager and participant in The Wilderness Society and Back Country Horsemen of America meetings.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: smaller;">photo: </span></strong><span style="font-size: smaller;">Two women riding horses in wilderness. Photo by Damon Parrish, Courtesy of REI.</span></p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:30:08 +0000102562 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/blog/back-country-horsemen-team-wilderness-society#comments